A MAJOR building society with 400,000 customers is making a big change to dozens of accounts from today.
Newcastle Building Society is dropping rates on 37 variable rate savings accounts.
It comes after the Bank of England (BoE) cut its base rate from 4.5% to 4.25% last month.
This rate is charged by the BoE to smaller high street banks on loans, with any fall usually mirrored in savings rates.
Newcastle Building Society is reducing rates on the 37 personal savings accounts by 0.25 percentage points.
The Double Access Saver/ISA (Issue 4) will drop from 4.05% to 3.80%, for customers eligible for a bonus interest rate.
Meanwhile, the Newcastle Cash Lifetime ISA (Issue 3) will fall from 2.70% to 2.45%.
The Newcastle Direct Saver Plus will fall from 2.50% to 2.25% for those getting interest paid annually and making less than five withdrawals.
While the Client Deposit account will drop from 2.50% to 2.25% as well.
Customers with fixed-rate savings accounts won’t see interest rates fall today.
Interest rates on two variable rate savings accounts – the Loyalty Saver (Issue 1) and Quadruple Access Saver/ISA (Issue 1) – will also not change as they have only been available to customers since April 24.
You can view the table above to find out how the interest rate on your savings account has changed.
Or, you can visit www.newcastle.co.uk/savings/manage-your-savings-account/interest-rates and click on “Current and Closed Issue Variable Savings Interest Rates”.
MAJOR BANKS CUTTING RATES
A host of banks are reducing interest rates on savings accounts as the BoE continues to cut its base rate.
HSBC cut rates on eight of its savings accounts on June 3, joining NatWest and Nationwide.
Nationwide cut interest rates on over 60 savings accounts on June 1 including a number of ISAs and easy access accounts.
NatWest also reduced rates on a number of accounts at the end of May.
It comes after the BoE cut its base rate from 4.50% to 4.25% on May 8.
The central bank raises its base rate to discourage people from spending and encourage them to save, which in turn is designed to make inflation fall.
It lowers its base rate when inflation is under control, meaning people are encouraged to spend and pump money into the economy.
A lower base rate signals good news for those with mortgages who see the interest rates charged on them fall.
However, it’s usually bad news for those with savings accounts as banks slash interest rates.
If you’re with Newcastle Building Society and have seen the interest rate on your savings account drop, you could switch to a new savings account paying a better rate.
It’s worth looking on price comparison websites like MoneySavingExpert.com and MoneySupermarket.com to find the best options for you.
How to get the best savings account
Knowing which savings account to choose can be confusing with so many different types out there.
The one that suits your needs the best depends on your personal circumstances.
For example, hundreds of thousands on Universal Credit can save money through a Help to Save account.
These accounts pay you 50p free for every 50p added, up to a maximum of £25 a month.
The interest on these accounts is paid out after two and four years after which point the account is closed.
But, maximise your pot over those four years and you’d earn £1,200 free cash.
For those with more long-term savings goals, a fixed-rate ISA might be the best option.
These tend to offer better interest rates than cash ISAs and any earnings are tax-free.
Meanwhile, for people who have a small amount they want to start saving away, a regular savings account might be best.
They usually pay out higher interest rates than easy access savings or current accounts.
For example, MoneySavingExpert.com says Principality Building Society is currently offering a regular savings account at 7.5% for the first six months and the best easy-access savings account is with Plum which is offering 4.85%.
One disadvantage of regular savings accounts is that the interest rate can be reduced if you don’t add cash in every month or you need to make a withdrawal.
SAVING ACCOUNT TYPES
THERE are four types of savings accounts fixed, notice, easy access, and regular savers.
Separately, there are ISAs or individual savings accounts which allow individuals to save up to £20,000 a year tax-free.
But we’ve rounded up the main types of conventional savings accounts below.
FIXED-RATE
A fixed-rate savings account or fixed-rate bond offers some of the highest interest rates but comes at the cost of being unable to withdraw your cash within the agreed term.
This means that your money is locked in, so even if interest rates increase you are unable to move your money and switch to a better account.
Some providers give the option to withdraw, but it comes with a hefty fee.
NOTICE
Notice accounts offer slightly lower rates in exchange for more flexibility when accessing your cash.
These accounts don’t lock your cash away for as long as a typical fixed bond account.
You’ll need to give advance notice to your bank – up to 180 days in some cases – before you can make a withdrawal or you’ll lose the interest.
EASY-ACCESS
An easy-access account does what it says on the tin and usually allows unlimited cash withdrawals.
These accounts tend to offer lower returns, but they are a good option if you want the freedom to move your money without being charged a penalty fee.
REGULAR SAVER
These accounts pay some of the best returns as long as you pay in a set amount each month.
You’ll usually need to hold a current account with providers to access the best rates.
However, if you have a lot of money to save, these accounts often come with monthly deposit limits.
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